The developer of the highly anticipated city-building simulation game, “Cities: Skylines II,” Colossal Order, has announced a delay in the game’s expansion roadmap. This decision comes in the wake of feedback from players regarding performance issues, as well as the news of the delay of console versions until 2024. The development team has decided to pause rapid patches and instead focus on addressing more time-consuming performance and bug fixes.
In a blog post, CEO Mariina Hallikainen expressed her apologies for the delay and explained that the team is prioritizing addressing the base game’s performance issues before pushing out new content. She emphasized the importance of not rushing new content before ensuring that the game is ready for it.
The delay pushes back the release of most of the expansion pass content for “Cities: Skylines II.” The Beach Properties asset pack, initially scheduled for release in Q4 2023, has been postponed to Q1 2024. Additionally, two creator packs – Modern Architecture and Urban Promenades – have been rescheduled from Q1 2024 to Q2 2024. The Deluxe Relax and Soft Rock radio stations are also delayed to Q1 and Q2 2024, respectively. Meanwhile, the Bridges & Ports expansion remains in the Q2 2024 slot.
Hallikainen’s blog post highlighted the need to address more time-consuming bug fixes and performance issues before introducing new content. She mentioned that the team is currently working on faster fixes and is now focusing on addressing issues that require more extensive work. This involves fixing graphical details to improve GPU performance and optimizing CPU performance to address stutter issues, ensuring a smooth gaming experience. The development team is actively reviewing player bug reports, identifying 100 reproducible issues and another 100 reports that require further investigation.
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Prior to the game’s launch, Colossal Order had updated the game’s minimum and recommended specifications, warning players that they had not achieved the targeted benchmark. Despite this, the game was released as planned in late October. However, the release was met with disappointment from fans, who criticized the game’s performance, buggy gameplay elements, and overall lack of optimization, even on high-end hardware.
Despite the initial disappointment, Colossal Order assured players that once the PC version of the game meets their standards, they will focus on the console release and DLC content. This commitment to addressing the game’s performance issues before moving forward with expansion content demonstrates the team’s dedication to delivering an optimal gaming experience for players.
The delay in the game’s expansion roadmap may disappoint some players, but it serves as a testament to the developers’ commitment to addressing performance issues and delivering a polished gaming experience. As the team continues to work on resolving these issues, players can look forward to a more stable and optimized version of “Cities: Skylines II” in the future.
